A Review of Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead

Yikes. Wow. Set aside the philosophical arguments. Please. The Fountainhead is a masterpiece, integrating theme and plot; characterization; and writing craftsmenship together in one tightly wrapped story that will remain in the hearts and minds of the American culture as the Mt. Rushmore of a New Age.

An individual fighting for survival in a society that refuses to accept him. Feel his struggle. A successful young architect at the top of his field. Know his pain. A most desired women in love with the forbidden. See her beauty. A captain of the news world defending his position. Predict his fall. Love. Lust. Power. Greed. Sex. Betrayal. LIFE.

I read The Fountainhead as a senior in high school as I passed through the most fantastic and emotional time of my life. When my english teacher first passed this book out in class I groaned at its size. Eventually, I read it. Every discription, every small word on every page made me wonder what I am doing on this earth and why no one understands me. I finished this book very late the night before I threw the shot put at the state meet in Denver as I tasted the best years of my life drift into nothingness.

Reading this book is a lot like climbing a mountain. It is difficult to begin and requires a lot of willpower to continue. At some point in the book you would rather watch ‘Might Morphine Power Rangers’, then continue to put such a strain on your brain. You consistently find yourself on the verge of quitting, but if you make it – WHAT A VIEW!!!

Rand has an uncanny ability to weave words into a beautiful mosaic; her characters come alive on the pages and dance before the reader’s eyes. One character in particular, Howard Roark, is what all men should seek to become. He makes you reflect and rethink and redesign and reconstruct your personna. Is Roark fiction? Of course. Is that life attainable? Probably not. Is it a goal? It is for me. Every time I cry, I cry because Howard Roark exists now as a part of me.

It is rare that one can sit down, for pleasure, read a book, for pleasure, and accidentally fumble upon a set of views that challenge those previously held. While The Fountainhead made me consider my ethics, it also altered them. It made me realize that man could be as great as he wants to be, and how acheivement is our ultimate goal. Because of this book, I now proudly claim to be a Republican. (I am ashamed to say that I once was a Democrat.) Lastly, and most importantly, I feel better knowing that living for me and no one else will pay off. Ayn saw this; why can’t we all.

This is a great book to give as a gift to a loved one, for what better gift could one give a person, than the gift of their own life. it has a good love story about howard rourk and his girl freind plus it made me want to be a GREAT arcitect like howard rourk is in this book. but i have to give it three star’s because howard rourk is pretty selfish he blows up some house’s and once he even rape’s his girl freind. my favorite caracter is peter keating who seem like a very nice man.